09 May 2011

If you're in the market for a painting...

A while back, I was reading BooMama's blog and she had a photo of a beautiful painting she'd just found at a little shop in Birmingham. I fell in love immediately, and serendipitously, I had been searching for the perfect birthday gift for my mom.

My mom. Impossible to buy gifts for because she never asks for anything (except practical things like vacuum cleaners and work shoes, which are not really all that much fun to buy). We are not alike in this way; I ask for unpractical things all. the. time. But I digress.

She'd just gotten a new position at work, which meant that she'd no longer be working as a floor nurse. Instead, she had her own office, and she'd be handling infection control at her hospital. Sounds icky to me, but really, she's been having lots of back and shoulder problems recently, so I was happy that the new position was less demanding physically.

Anyway, these paintings were perfect for her. Kinda folksy, lots of bright colors, and scripture: PER-FECT. So, I Googled, and found out that the artist, Linda Dunn, has a business called Simply Hope. I emailed her, and she is SWEET AS PIE, I tell you. She and I communicated pretty regularly for a few months, and eventually,we settled on a design, the colors, and the verse she'd incorporate into the painting for my mama. And she was so patient every time I changed my mind or had a question. I can't wait to order a few more for some other people!

I had the gift shipped to my mom's house, mostly because I wanted her to die of anticipation while she was waiting to open it. Long story short (and really, I am leaving out LOTS because before we could hang the painting in her office, we had to do some renovation -- that office was in awful shape): SHE LOVED IT. And so do I.